No.

Sorry.

Fail.

Out of luck.

Out of order.

Try again.

Play again.

Game over.

Sold out.

Discontinued.

Wrong way.

Do not enter.

No outlet.

No dice.

Not hearing or receiving some version of “yes” can be the most frustrating thing in the world, especially when you feel you’re on track for the green light.

No is a word that tests us. It tests our patience, our stamina, our determination, our conviction.

No is sometimes so abrupt that we don’t even want to try again; we’re simply done. We’re out of energy, out of passion, out of the fire that used to burn inside, out of emotion.

No can take something and throw it back in our face. No can win if we let it.

Maybe the key to beating “no” is to whittle things down into bite-sized pieces; to a size more palatable. Perhaps the key to escorting “no dice” out of the building is to first dice the larger challenge into smaller portions.

Realizing that we all have to start somewhere with everything we do, tonight I am thankful for knowing that my first attempt doesn’t have to be my last, and that square one can be returned to as often as I’d like. Tonight I am thankful for starting over, and for being able to roll the dice one more time — or as many times as I want to, need to or feel up to.